Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-07-28
LarresI Yineyard on Ealth.

Chico fal. Enterprise
There has been a great deal written
about Senator Stanford's immense
ranch at VIVA, but t he only way TO
get an adequate idea OF it is to pay
the nlacs a visit. This an Enterprise
reporter did a few days ago. stan
ford's ranch begins at the Tahama
county line, and the first view one
gets OF his land is not prepossessing.
II is nothing but o barren, treeless
plain, where the bedrock crops out IN
spots and everywhere lies but a lew
feet beneath the surface. Nothing
will grow here except q short, dry
weed, but the sheep like this weed,
and the plain is, therefore, one vast
sheep range, for Senator Stanford IS a
man OF varied resources and manages
to find a use for all the land he owns.
As O approach Vina the aspects
of the country suddenly changes, and
YOU lump from sunburned plains into
the midst of green alfalfa fields and
VINEYARDS. The former are made pro-
ductive by frequent flooding from ir-
rigatingditches. This flooding isgood
for the soil, but bad for health, and II
it makes alfalfa, it also makes malaria.
The water is brought in bitches from
Deer creek and turned into the fields
until it stands in q vast lake. AS
soon as one crop OF alfalfa is cut an
other is raised in this way all the year
round. 1t is used very extensively for
stock in place OF hay.
But the vineyard is the wonderful
feature OF the Stanford ranch. 1t ex-
tends for several miles up and down
on each side OF the road as you
approach Vina, and back from the
road as far as the eve al reach. In
some places the vines are large, m
Others they have just been set out,
and in the latter case they ale sup
ported by an army OF stakes. This
VINEYARD contains $500 acres, and is
the largest in the world, but still the
senator is not satisfied, and proposes
to have 5000 acres. More vines are
eing set out every year. The pref
lest sight of all are the old Greek
vines, which form the nucleus OF Sena-
tor Stanford's vineyard. These vines
are all old, and stand fully five feet
high. The trunks are larger than a
mans arm. The branches are trimm-
ed off at the bottom and allowed to
grow out at the top, until the vine
yard looks like an orchard OF young
peach trees, and they are all pruned
off SO evenly that they make one level
floor of green as the eye ~glances across
them.
The vines already in bearing require
the attention of several hundred men
to take care OF the grapes they prod
uce; and 1t will take a small army OF
men to attend the crop each year
when all the vines get to bearing. The
winery already in use On the ranch Is
a large building, but o Senator
Stanford is having a brick structure
erected which covers two acres. The
walls are already up, and lao pillars
are being erected to support the roof.
The building is to hold the wine watts
and casks, and is a sort of wine cellar
above ground. 1t is of mammoth pro-
portions, but so is the vineyard, and
so will the crop of grapes be.
One could talk about the vine
yard and winery allday, but there are
other things so be mentioned. Next
to his vines, in Senator Stanford's es-
TEEN, come his fine horses. OF these
there are large bands to be seen, all
beauties and Of the best blood. The
senator makes a speciality of raising
fast horses, which he sells for fancy
figures. Every animal is spirited,
beautifully proportional. and looks
sleek and smooth. The two stations
to which he breeds all his mares are
Clay and Whips. The former the sen
ator values at $4,000. Clay is a
rather small brown horse, kind and
gentle in disposition. Whips is a fine
large bay, full OF life and beautifully
built. In fact, the senator
considers Whips the ideal
OF horsefesh and beyond price.
price. The animal was expected to
make very fast time, but was famed
in his early training at Palo Alto, and
hence is used only for breeding pur-
poses. Several fine horses have been
famed on the Palo Alto track, which
is considered too hard, and the sena-
tor intends to build a training track
on his Vina ranch. Negotiations are
now III progress for the purchase OF
the Copeland estate, which adjoins
Stanford on the west, next to the riy-
er, and when these negotiations are
completed the track will probably be
built on this land. Then all the fine
stock will be brought to Vina, which
will be made headquarters for the
training department.
Other features Of this wonderful
ranch deserve extended mention.
The nine large barns for the horses,
which are made as comfortable as
most dwellings; the barns where the
Holsteins have their quarters, kept
as neat as parlor; those fine old Hol-
stein cattle themselves of monstrous
size and beautifully marked in black
and white; the COW in particular,
which Is being fattened for beef, to
weigh $500 pounds and which now
weighs nearly 1000; Senator Stan
lords handsome two-story residence,
with its extensive lawns, flower gar
dens and statuary-all ofthose things
attract the attention and excite the
interest OF the stranger. But then
everything about this great ranch is
OF interest, and after the visitor has
spent the day in examining the differ
ent features he still feels how little he
has seen. The ranch is one of the
wonders of this wonderful State.